The Yellow Rose
by SongInTheSilence
Summary: Set in a medieval universe, the princess Akane runs away when she is engaged to a foreign Lord. Unfortunately she is captured by a band of rogues who take her in as one of their own. But what of the mysterious roses that haunt her dreams? R/A


Believe it or not, this is going to be a romance fic. Somewhere along the line   
I got messed up and I almost wasn't sure what heading to put it under, But don't worry   
it will be a romance even if it kills me!!! (not in the prologue though, sorry)   
Enough of my ramblings.....  
  
Disclaimer: I'm flattered that you actually need to read this to believe that I don't   
own the Ranma characters, but really....   
  
  
  
The Yellow Rose  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
Europe 1342  
  
  
  
"... Roses, in their uncorrupted state, possess an untapped power capable of  
destroying anything ever created by man. They can obliterate a city so completely that   
only fools will remain to wonder if the city was ever really there in the first place.  
They can, however, be used to heal and renew all life forms. A way to access this power   
is as yet undiscovered. ..."  
  
"DAUGHTER!!"  
  
Startled, the young girl dropped the book she had been reading. Terrified that her   
mother would find her looking at the things in the forbidden tower, she ran as fast as she   
could down the winding stairs. It seemed that hours had passed before she reached her rooms   
and was able to call out.  
  
"I am here, mother!!"  
"Come! I have need of you!"  
  
The girl headed towards the door, the strange book already forgotten in her hurry to   
assist her mother.  
  
The book lay where it had fallen, pages open to a horrific scene of blood and destruction.   
A simple caption lay below the picture, "The Magnificent Power Of Roses".  
The girl may have forgotten it then, but she would remember. Remember and regret the day she had   
ever touched the book.  
  
  
  
  
  
Eleven Years Later  
  
"Lady, your father wishes to speak with you." The young maid looked down as she spoke, afraid   
of her Lady's wrath. It was common knowledge that the Princess Akane did not get along well with her father.  
  
"Very Well. You may tell him I'll be along shortly." Akane stated, her back turned to the maid.  
The calm quality of the princess' voice surprised the maid, but she was not one to turn down   
un-looked for blessings. She quickly bowed and slipped out the door before Akane changed her mind.  
  
Still looking out the window, Akane smiled. She knew her reputation. Was it really her fault   
she couldn't control her temper? Sighing, she rose and walked over to her vanity. She knew there was no   
use stalling her father, he would only get angrier.   
  
"I wonder what it is this time?" The last several times her father needed to "speak" with her,   
she had been given stern lectures on behaving like the princess she was.  
Perhaps if her father had a little more forethought, he would not have hired Faldron as her tutor.  
  
Akane smiled as she remembered her "mother". Faldron had been the only one she could depend on for   
most of her life. It had been Faldron who had taught her sword fighting and how to live life on the road.   
The King hadn't known about this of course, or else he would have put a stop to it immediately.  
  
Akane felt a sudden chill as she left her rooms and walked along the corridors towards her father's   
chambers. Something was going to change. Uneasy, she quickened her steps until she saw the familiar blue and   
red crest above her father's door. His symbol, a finger being pricked by a rose's thorn, stood out more than   
usual and only added to Akane's discomfort.  
  
The guard at the door waved her in without a word. Inside the first chamber, her father sat facing   
the fire. The heavy old chair he was sitting in seemed to swallow his aging form.  
  
"Took you long enough." the voice, bittered with age, seemed more tired than it usually did.  
  
"You did not specify a time, father." Akane replied, using the last word as more a form of mockery   
than as a term of endearment.  
  
"Come child, there is no more need of this bickering. How old are you now?"  
  
"Seventeen"  
  
"Where have the years gone? You should have been married a long time ago. Oh well, we do not have time   
to dwell on the past. Goddess knows I have often enough."  
  
"Cease this babble father. Why did you call me here?"  
  
The king laughed. "Do you hate me so much? You are wiser than I gave you credit for!" his eyes hardened   
suddenly, scaring Akane. He had the look of one who had passed the line of human dignity and honor. "You are young yet   
and fairly pleasing to the eye. As of last night, you are engaged to the eldest son of Lord Drian."  
  
"WHAT!!!!" Akane exclaimed. "I am NOT marrying some rich snob so you can get a few more carts of silver!!!!   
  
The King continued, ignoring his Akane's outburst. "Prepare your things, you leave in two days."  
  
Akane knew it was useless to argue so she simply walked out. "Marrying me off to some lord I've never even   
met, yeah right! The old fool acts as though he really is my father!" she thought, grimacing. Suddenly she smiled,   
thinking of her real father. Soun would be wailing that his older brother had hurt his little baby. Too bad he was dead.  
  
"I guess I'll be leaving then." she thought. There really wasn't anything left for her, not since Faldron died   
anyway. That decided, she set off determinedly to pack her few important belongings.  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane groaned. According to the map, there should have been an inn in this valley. As it looked, she'd be   
spending another night under the stars.  
  
There wasn't anything wrong with the valley, it was quite pretty actually, but she had been looking forward  
to a hot bath. When she left, Akane didn't have any plan of where she would go. She just needed to get away.   
Now, however, she regretted her hastiness.   
  
Sighing, she tethered her horse to a tree and went about setting up camp. It wasn't long at all before   
she was fast asleep, oblivious to the pair eyes watching her from the border of the trees.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yep. All alone, silly girl and without any weapons too. You gonna go get her Ran-chan?"   
  
"I guess so. She might have some money on her. Anyway, she has to pay the price for trespassing."  
  
"You should send someone else, it's only a young girl. What harm could she do?"  
Ukyo asked.  
  
"She's no threat, but I don't trust any of the guys with an unarmed girl." He replied.  
  
Ukyo laughed. "Always a man of honor despite being a thief!"  
  
Ranma made a face as he turned to leave. "Very funny."  
  
  
  
  
  
Akane woke to the feeling of cold steel pressed against her neck. Before she could scream a hand   
was clamped tightly over her mouth. All she could see were a pair of ice blue eyes. The rest of her captor   
was hidden in a swirl of black clothing.  
  
"Make a sound and I'll slit your throat!"   
  
Silence was the only reply.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
AN: Sorry for the OOC. It was necessary to set the story line. They'll be closer to their real  
personalities in the next chapter. Please review! 


End file.
